Beer Bonanza

Utah boasts 30 craft breweries…and counting!

In order to give you Utah craft breweries updates, Utah Stories asked them the following questions:

1. What new beers are you working on?
2. What is your top seller?
3. How many barrels are you brewing in a year?
4. How would you describe your unique niche in the craft beer market?
5. Who is your current brew master or head brewer?
6. Any advice for others who want to enter the craft brewing business?
7. Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about your brewery or beers?

Strap Tank Brewery – Shawn Smith

1750 W 596 S, Springville, UT

1. New beers: We will have different sour beers coming out this year. I want to experiment and really push the limits on what these styles can be. We will soon be releasing our first bottled, non-barrel aged saison, which I am really excited about. Saison is one of those styles that can pair with almost any food, and being a brewpub, it fits perfectly for us.
2.  The top seller: Flathead. It’s a clean, crisp American Lager.
3.  The number of barrels per year: We did about 600 bbls in 2018.
4.  The niche: We are the only craft brewery in Utah County so we have a great opportunity to introduce customers to many different styles of craft beer. We have 13 draft lines that provide a lot of variety. So whether someone wants a crisp, light lager, hoppy pale ale, or sour beer, chances are we’ll have something to suit their tastes.
5.  The current brew master: Shawn Smith
6.  News: We are opening another brewpub in Lehi that’s slated to open in May. We’re very excited to still be in Utah County while being more accessible to beer drinkers in the Salt Lake Valley.

Moab Brewery – Shar Chappell

686 S Main St., Moab, UT

1. New beers: We have been very busy with our new Moab Distillery, but we have captured the audience that we set out to with our FMU Double IPA (9.6% ABV — available in all Utah State Liquor Stores and our package agency), and have also just completed with great success, a market test with our Grapefruit Pale Ale.
2. The top seller: Johnny’s IPA, with our Dead Horse Amber a close second.
3.  The niche: We are approaching 23 years in the brewery business and we are one of the proven pioneers in the craft micro-brewing industry. We are also one of the largest breweries in the State of Utah.
4. The current brew master: Jeff Van Horn has been with us for 16 years and is a valuable brewery operations manager and a great partner.
5. Any advice: Get in line!
6.  We have a proven track record, not only in Moab, but throughout the state. We have a great relationship with Carlson Distributing who we have been with from the beginning. Our sales rep, Scott Davis, has done a tremendous job in growing our brands throughout the state. We have built our customer base and appreciate our loyal customers.

Talisman Brewing Co. – Dusty Williams

1258 Gibson Ave., Ogden, UT

1. New beers: We have several new beers on the books for 2019. We will be releasing many seasonal ones under our “SeasonAle” label. You can look for several “one-off” beers which are limited in quantity and a one-time release. We are looking at adding one or two additional beers to our permanent lineup. We also have several barrel-aged projects underway, including sour beers. Our social media pages and our newsletter can keep you current.
2. The top seller: We have many beers that are selling quite well. In our 4% lineup, Killer Grove (honey wheat w/blood orange), Uplifted Scottish Ale, and Coming in Hop Session IPA are our top performers. For our high point beers (above 4%), Bels Fury Red Ale and Hazards Triple IPA are our top performers.
3. The number of barrels per year: Last year we produced 854 barrels of product. That equates to about 30,000 gallons of beer.
4. The niche: That’s what I absolutely love about Talisman Brewing Co. We never really set out to have a specific niche. We just try to brew the best beer we can while providing some unique and broad beer styles to supply a beer taste for everyone. We don’t try to be the “Cool Kids” in town, nor do we always follow trends. We listen to our customer base and follow the market closely, but in the end, we just do what we do. We strive to create fantastic products and continuously look for ways to improve on what we are doing. We pride ourselves on creating a loving, positive, accepting environment for ALL people.
5. The brew master: Dusty Williams is our head brewer and Chuck Stevens is the lead brewer. We currently have 10 employees at Talisman with some additional volunteers/interns.
6. Any advice: You need to ensure you have a passion for brewing and for the industry itself. The brewing industry is most definitely a passion of love, not money. If your heart isn’t in it, then you’re not likely to succeed. Pay attention to research and educate yourself. Don’t ever think you know it all or have it all figured out because that is the recipe for failure. Be receptive. Listen and learn. Be like a chameleon and adapt and change with the times because you will most definitely have to do this.
7.  We here at Talisman are just down to earth, fun-loving, real people. We want to contribute love, positivity and unity to our communities. A pint of beer is the catalyst for bringing people together to socialize, love, laugh and enjoy each other’s company!

RoHa Brewing Project – Rob Phillips

30 W Kensington Ave., Salt Lake City, UT

1. New beers: We always have new and rotating beers here in our taproom. Currently, we are featuring a Keifer Sutherland Pale Ale, made with local hop Keiffe, and a Young Bruin, which is a Belgian Sour Brown.
2. The top seller: Currently, in the various markets, Back Porch Pale Ale is our best selling grocery brand. Maltese Cross is hottest on draft, and Thursday IPA is our fastest moving DABC brand. Our newest beer, the Shambo Juicy IPA, is picking up steam and moving quickly. It is now available in most liquor stores across the state.
3. The niche: Our unique niche is great beer brewed without compromise. We make drinkable beer, brewed, designed and packaged for the daily drinker.
4. The current brew master: Chris Haas remains our brew master. He is the ‘Ha’ in RoHa, and does an amazing job designing and crafting these various beer styles.
5. Any advice: Get out, get to know the people, get to know the brewers. The brewery support community is a big deal here and the key to success
6. News: We are still small and local, yet you can find our beers in most beer-selling outlets and chain stores. Our taproom is the best place to find out what we have going on. Sip on a pint or enjoy our Firkin each Wednesday afternoon.

Uinta Brewing – Taylor Stapleton

1722 S Fremont Dr., Salt Lake City, UT

1. New beers: The next in line that we’re excited about is Test Phaze, the fourth release from our Crooked Line. We are excited about it because we had the unique opportunity to contract a single plot of an experimental hop variety known only as HBC 692.
2. The top seller: In state: Cutthroat. Out of state: Hop Nosh.
3. The number of barrels per year: We can’t always predict how much we’ll do each year, but last year we did 80,000 barrels.
4. The niche: Our ability to brew full-body, full-flavored session beers.

Epic Brewing – Leigh Germy

825 S State St., Salt Lake City, UT

1. New beers: We just released the new Oak and Orchard, Rose and coming soon, Chasing Ghosts, a double dry-hopped, double hazy New England-Style IPA, and also a Rose IPA which will be perfect for the upcoming summer season.
2. The top seller: Tart and Juicy Sour IPA, clean puckering tartness of kettle souring with an abundance of juicy citrus-driven hops.
3. The number of barrels per year: We are around 30k barrels.
4. The niche: We enjoy making different beers, sours, IPAs, stouts while being a bit adventurous with them and having fun in the process. We are well-known for our barrel-aging program with sours as well as the unforgettable Big Bad Baptist and its variants.
5. The current head brewer: Jordan Schupbach is our head of brewing.

Vernal Brewing – Ginger Bowden

55 S 500 E, Vernal, UT

1. The new beers: We are currently lagering a Bock Lager for our spring seasonal. It is lagered for three months. It has a malty sweetness and comes in at 7% ABV.
2. The top seller:  She’s A Peach Wheat Ale is our top seller.
3. The number of barrels per year: Approximately 2,000.
4. The niche: Creative local marketing and traditional ingredients.
5. The brew master:  Mark Watson.
6. Any advice: Do your research, know your market, and don’t try to reinvent the wheel.
7. Vernal Brewing Co. is a brewery and gastropub. We are in the middle of Dinosaur Land, so visit us when you are looking for fossils.

Bonneville Brewing – David Watson

1641 N Main St., Tooele, UT

1. New beers: Today we are brewing the 6th AnniversaRye. We do a different rye beer with experimental hops to celebrate the anniversary of our brewpub. This year we are doing a brut-style session rye pale ale, which uses a special enzyme to convert all starches to fermentable sugars, leaving a champagne-like dry beer. The rye will contribute an earthy, spicy character and the hops will bring aromas of citrus, tropical fruit and a hint of mint.
2. The top seller: Silver Island Hefewieizen.
3. The number of barrels per year: We are currently producing about 1200 barrels.
4. The niche: We specialize in solid, classic styles with an occasional twist. Our partnership with All Star Bowling and Entertainment and Pins and Ales couples our beers with entertainment options.
5. The current brew master: Dave Watson.
6. Any advice: Be ready for anything.
7. News: Look for our beers at local grocery stores and your better bars, as well as All Star.

Red Rock Brewing – Aida Zimmerman

443 North 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT

1. New beers: What aren’t we working on? Let’s wait and see what’s brewing at Red Rock.
2. The top seller: Elephino is our best selling brand.
3. Number of barrels per year: At present we are producing 6,000 barrels.
4. The niche: Barrel- aged beers, pure flavors/ingredients and no extracts keep customers returning.
5. Current brew master/head brewer: Chris Harlin and Kevin Davis.
6. Any advice: Stay true to the craft.
7.  We are the oldest locally-owned craft brewery in Utah.

Hopkins Brewing Company – Chad Hopkins

1048 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT

1. New beers: I am always working on different beers styles that I love to drink. I currently have a milk stout that is aging on fresh La Barba coffee beans. I will be brewing several different hoppy pale ales (I refused to call them session IPAs), a fruited gose and a pilsner for the spring/summer.
2. Top seller: Right now it is our “Friendly Introduction” Pale Ale.
3.  The number of barrels per year: We are looking to brew about 400 this year.
4. The niche: We are a hyper-local brewpub with small batch, unfiltered, eclectic beer styles. We strive to use sustainable local products and use humanely-raised meat (cage free, grass fed, etc.) and non-GMO food in our menu. We have no plans to distribute and would prefer to stay small. I love to give our guests a one-on-one experience where they can talk to me, the brewer, about the beer and the food. We are very passionate about what we do.
5. The current brew master: Chad Hopkins.
6. Any advice: It’s a lot of work — a lot more than anyone may think, but if you are passionate about what you do, then you will be successful. Craft beer is driven by passion and love, not money.”
7. News: Right now we are limited to our beers on tap (4%), but be on the lookout for high-point beer available to-go and for consumption on-site in the future. We will also be rotating our food menu with fresh new ingredients that are local and in season.

T.F. Brewing – Britt Templin

936 S 300 W, Salt Lake City, UT

1. New beers: Oktoberfest biers and barrel-aged biers will be our new entries.
2. Top seller: FERDA Double IPA and Granary Kellerbier.
3. The number of barrels per year: Since we have only been open four months, we are not sure yet.
4. The niche:Kevin has a love for German biers — this is his passion.
5. The current brew master: Kevin Templin.
6. Any advice: Go for it! The more the merrier. It’s a lot of hard work, but I think it is worth it.
7.  We are a family brewery focusing on quality, not quantity.

Roosters Brewing Company – Steve Kirkland

253 Historic 25th Street, Ogden, 748 W Heritage Park Blvd., Layton, B Street Tap Room – 2325 B Ave., Ogden

The big news at Roosters is that we’ve just opened our third facility; a 30-barrel production brewhouse with a canning line and inviting taproom. We’ve come out of the shoot with six canned offerings: Ogden Double IPA, Rude Ram Red, B Street Blackberry Cream Ale, Patio Pilsner, Blood Orange Session IPA, and Bee’s Knees Honey Wheat. So far, the Ogden Double IPA is the big hit. We hope to hit between 2,000 and 3,000 barrels total production this year.

With the new facility taking on production, the pubs have greater flexibility and are flexing their creative muscles.”

Jacquie King, head brewer at the 25th Street Pub, has recently created the Daily Rise and Shine breakfast stout made with local Daily Rise coffee, and can’t keep up with the demand on her Strawberry Milkshake ale brewed with lactose and strawberry puree.
Matt Bishop at the Layton Roosters brewed a very well received Flyover Steam Beer and a dry, citrusy Brut Pale Ale.

Keep an eye out for those two, very creative brewers.

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